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A.'G. PLANCHENAULT.

CLASP.

- APPLICATION HLED JUNEZb. 191B.

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ALEXANDRE e. rLANoIin vrAULT, or COYTESVILLE, NEW innsnxnssmlvon roNATIONAL other 00., me, on NEW YORK, NHL, A CORPORATION or new YORK.

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To all "LU/tOl/L it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDR G. PLAN OIIENAULT, a citizen of theRepublic of France, and residing in Coytesville, county of Bergen, andState of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Clasps,of which the following is a speci fication: i i i This invention relatesto clasps which are particularly adapted for jewelry, garments and thelike and has for its objects the provision of a simple, effective andcheap construction which is both durable and attractive in appearance.

I am aware that heretoforevarious clasps, for example as shown in PatentNo; 417,- 124 of December 10, 1889, andmyiPatent No. 1,246,654 ofNovember 13, 1917, have been proposed, but the employmentof retractileplunger-s such as shown in both of such constructions is objectionable,particularly in those cases where durability and economy are essentialfeatures, owlng obviously to the extra parts which are required with theconsequent likelihood of derange-j ment as well as the extra expense oflabor and material. Accordinglyfl do not broadly lay claim to suchconstructions.

My invention is fully set forth anddescribed in the accompanyingspecification and drawings forming a part thereof, in Which Figure 1 isa bottom plan view of a belt provided with my improved clasp Fig. 2 1s atop plan view of the same; Fig. 3 1s a plan view of one member of theclasp, isolated, withgthe top plate removed; Fig. 3 is a side elevation,before soldering, of the same member assembled;

Fig. 4C is a transverse vertical section- Referring to the drawings andthe constructlon shown thereln, the reference nuy morals 1, 1 deslgnatethe top and bottom plates respectively, of the upper member of theclasp. Each of these members is provided with an elongated transverseslot 2, adapted to receive the end of the belt, strap or the like. Theend member 1 is provided with apertures 3, 3, which, as

L SP-L Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Jilly 1, 1919.Application filed June 25, 1 918. se ial N6 241,739

shown, are provided with edges a thatare the same constitute separateinserts. A positioning member or retaining-pin b corresponding inthickness to said spacers and having a centrally projecting tongue orshank 7 and also recesses 8,8 disposedoireither side of said shank,servesas a spacer itself and also to" position a V-shaped spring 9,preferably of tempered steel wire and to hold the lower end of saidspring against the inner edge of the spacer a. 1 l

The top plate 1 is ofsimilar configuration to the bottom plate 1 and :isalso provided with a pair of aperturesll, 11 of similar configurationtothe apertures 3, 3 and adapted to substantially register there with,except that the apertures 11, 11 are shorter than the apertures 3, 3 forthe reason hereinafter set forth. Said apertures 11, 11 like theapertures 3, 3, have oblique edges a" "which form angles to 1 the base7) slmilar to that formed by the edges (4 with The cooperatingclaspmember is provided.

with lugs 13, 13 whichareof such configuration that if presented fromthe wrong side of the upper member, for the reasons hereinafterexplained, it is impossible for them to enter the apertures 3, 3 and 11,11. Said configuration consists of curvilinear end faces 14,144, andcurvilinear side faces 15,

15 which latterfaces preferably meetthc former at aslight obtuse angle,that forming shoulders under which the free ends of said. spring!) areadapted toproject when thesaid lugs are inserted into the apertures 3, 3and 11,11 of the plates 1 and 1.

The outer faces 16, 16' of said lugs prefer ably curve continuouslyoutward from the mid-point of the end faces 14, 14 to the respectivebases of said lugs, thereby requiringthat the apertures 3, 3, besemewhat more elongated than the apertures 11, 11 in order to permit ofthe convenient insertion of said lugs into said apertures in the mannerand position shown in Fig. &. As a consequence both the edges 61- andedges 0 of the apertures 11, 11 will snugly engage the inner ends of endfaces 14, 14 and the upper ends only of the side faces 16, 16, of thelugs when the latter are so inserted therein, whereas, only the edges 0of the apertures 3, 3 will engage with the lower ends of the faces 16,16 of the enlarged base of said lugs, since the inner faces a of saidapertures 3,3 will, owing to the lugs being cut away,be out of contactwith the faces 15, 15 of the said lugs.

The faces 15, 15 of said lugs arealso oblique to conform with theangularity of the ed 'es a and a of the a ertures 3 3 and 11 11 andconsequently, it is impossible to insert the lugs in the apertures 3, 3when the former are presented backward or in such a manner that the saidfaces 15, 15 do not lie parallel to the edges a and a. More over, owingto the difference in the size ofthe apertures 3, 3 as compared with theapertures 11, 11 the clasp cannot be properly locked unless the ends ofthe lugs are inserted first intothe apertures 3, 3, as the apertures11,- 11 are too short and hence the proper insertion of said lugstherein is not possible.

This clasp is not only extremely cheap and durable or fool-proof, butowing to the fact that the outer apertures 11,11 are ad; pted to snuglybear against both sides of the end faces of said, lugs 13, 13, there isno likelihood of a side thrust or blow on the ends of the lugs causingthe same to become accidentally disengaged from the retaining springs.Nevertheless, by prying the two clasp members apart with thefinger-nailthe same can be positively disengaged at will. As shown, the faces 15,15 of the lugs are so formed as to force the spring .9 automatically outof engagement with said lugs when the clasp members are positively priedapart, yet, as stated, there is no tendency for said spring 9 to becomeaccidentally released from engagement with said lugs.

The plates 1, 1 are secured together by means of four pins or rivets 6.Moreover, in order to improve the appearance any openings in the sidesof the clasp when as sembled' are filled in with solder.

Having thus described my invention, what I I claim and desire to secureby Letters Pat ent is 1. A clasp consisting of two members, the firstmember being provided with a plurality of oppositely disposed lugshaving shoulders on their adjacent faces and the second member beingprovided with apertures each of such configuration as to snugly receiveone of said lugs, a spring secured within the latter member andpositioned intermediate the respective outermost limits of saidapertures, said spring being adapted to normally project beneath thesaid shoulders when said lugs are inserted in said apertures, and theconfiguration of the inner face of said lugs being such as toautomaticallv compress the respective arms of said spring and permit therelease of said lug-i from engagement with said arms when said membersare forced apart by pressure ex.- erted substantially axially of saidlugs and positioning means projected substantially between saidapertures and adapted to securely hold said spring so that. itsrespective arms project slightly over the inner edges of said aperturesafter the assembly of the parts of said second member.

2. In a clasp of the character described in claim 1, a pairof'oppositely disposed lugs having convex ends and concave adjacentfaces with shoulders at their intersections.

3. In a clasp of the character described in claim 1, a pair ofoppositely disposed lugs having convex ends and concave adjacent: faceswith shoulders at their intersections. the outer face of the convex endof each lug intersecting such inner face at an obtuseangle.

4. In a clasp the combination comprising a socket member and a studmember, said socket member having apertures extending therethrough andsaid apertures being larger at the bottom than at the top and saidapertures having oblique adjacent edges, said stud member having studswhich taper upwardly and which are provided th oblique adjacent facescorresponding in angularity to the oblique edges whereby the same areadapted to be inserted into said apertures from the bottom only.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York thisl-lth day of June, 1918.

ALEXANDRE G PLANCIIENAULT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

